A dry land ski training device having a pair of cantilevered arms pivotally mounted adjacent their forward ends

ABSTRACT

A dry land ski training device having a pair of pivotally mounted cantilever arms, each with adjustable foot support brackets mounted thereon, the cantilever arms having a semicircular section at their forward ends with a hole at the pivot point, the flat bottom surface of the semi-circular section bearing upon the sloped surface of a support post, and the cantilever arms being bent upwardly at a slight angle to extend outwardly from the support post and give the foot brackets a forward slope. Adjustable brakes are attached to the forward end of the cantilever arms to vary the amount of resistance the user of the device will encounter while pivoting the arms back and forth. Means are also provided for adjusting the lateral distance between the forward ends of the arms.

United States Patent Aijala 451 May 2, 1972 [72] Inventor: Sulo A. Aijala, Attleboro, Mass,

[73] Assignee: Intricate Machine & Engineering Inc. [22] Filed: Jan. 12, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 2,052

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 474,274 8/1969 Switzerland ..272/57 B 876,979 9/1961 Great Britain. ..272/57 B 832,295 6/1938 France ..272/57 B 902,675 8/1962 Great Britain ..272/57 B 193,975 8/1967 U.S.S.R. ..272/57 B Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Richard J. Apley Att0rneyBarlow and Barlow [57] ABSTRACT A dry land ski training device having a pair of pivotally mounted cantilever arms, each with adjustable foot support brackets mounted thereon, the cantilever arms having a semicircular section at their forward ends with a hole at the pivot point, the flat bottom surface of the semi-circular section bearing upon the sloped surface of a support post, and the cantilever arms being bent upwardly at a slight angle to extend outwardly from the support post and give the foot brackets a forward slope. Adjustable brakes are attached to the forward end of the cantilever arms to vary the amount of resistance the user of the device will encounter while pivoting the arms back and forth. Means are also provided for adjusting the lateral distance between the forward ends of the arms.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures Patented May 2, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. SULO A. AIJALA ATTORNEYS Patented May 2, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. SULO A. AIJALA A DRY LAND SKI TRAINING DEVICE HAVING A PAIR OF CANTILEVERED ARMS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THEIR FORWARD ENDS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a device for training and improving the skills of skiers by simulating skiing positions.

In skiing many muscles are used which do not in the ordinary course of living develop to the extent necessary to ski properly. This device is for use in strengthening those muscles used in skiing and for simulating the conditions of actual skiing. Also when learning most new sports, unfamiliar movements are used which must be learned before any degree of proficiency can be exercised. For most skiers, the learning time can be considerably shortened by the use of training devices to strengthen the proper muscles and which familiarize the skiers body muscles with the new movements used in skiing. Various attempts have been made to provide a foot and leg exerciser to strengthen the muscles used in certain torsion movements in skiing which have resulted in rather complicated mechanisms or mechanisms which did not fully achieve the desired results. The more complicated the device, the more expensive it was with the result that only few could afford to purchase them. The present invention requires a relatively uncomplicated mechanism and can be produced to sell at a reasonable price.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The ski training device permits actual skiing positions and maneuvers to be taught and practiced without the need for a ski slope. A person using the training device adjusts the foot support brackets to his shoe size and then positions his feet in place on the cantilever arms. The cantilever arms are of sufficient tensile strength to support a person without deforming and possess sufficient resiliency to simulate the weighting and unweighting motions performed while skiing. Due to the upward inclination of the cantilever arms, a feeling of actually skiing downhill is created. Different skiing movements may be practiced by moving the foot supports relative to each other. For instance both feet may be pushed outwardly to simulate a snow plow movement. The sloped bearing surfaces of the support posts cause the cantilever arms to tilt inwardly during this movement to simulate the movement one would use against the inside edges of his skis to slow ones forward motion. When used to practice parallel skiing or wedeln the cantilever arms would be kept parallel and swung alternately from left to right to simulate those movements. Again due to the inclination given the cantilever arms when pushed to either side of center position, a movement which simulates edging is gained. When using the training device, the user may make use of his poles to maintain better balance and simulate realism. As a person s skill in moving the cantilever arms properly increases, the braking mechanisms may be tightened to produce increased resistance to turning. This increased resistance program develops the necessary muscles involved in the difi'erent skiing movements.

It is an object of this invention to provide an economical ski training device which more closely simulates actual skiing movements.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a ski training device which places the turning point of the foot support members forward of said foot support members the same as exists in actual skiing.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a ski training device in which the foot support cantilever arms may be adjusted laterally to vary the distance therebetween as the users proficiency increases.

A further object is to provide a ski training device capable of developing and strengthening the leg muscles essential to performing ski maneuvers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ski training device;

FIG. 2 is a partial view illustrating the structure in FIG. 1 that secures the cantilever arm to the base support with said structure being shown in exploded view;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment which allows lateral movement of the foot support cantilever arms to vary the distance therebetween;

FIG. 4 is a partial view illustrating the structure in the alternative embodiment that secures the cantilever arms to the base support with said structure being shown in exploded view,

FIG. 5a is a schematic top plan view of the cantilever arms in the snow plow configuration;

FIG. 5b is a schematic rear end view taken along cantilever arm 12a of FIG. 5a;

FIG. 5c is a schematic rear end view taken along cantilever arm 12b of FIG. 5a;

FIG. 6a is a schematic top plan view of the cantilever arms in a parallel position;

FIG. 6b is a schematic rear end view taken along cantilever arms 12a and 12b ofFIG. 6a.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As best described in FIG. 1, the ski training device is generally indicated by the numeral 10. Mounted upon each of the cantilever arms 12 is a pair of foot support brackets 16. Each has a C-shaped support member 18 which is slidably mounted thereon and which can be locked in position by means of a set screw 20. Foot guide plates 22 are mounted vertically atop the C-shaped support members 18 and positioned thereon to form guides for ends of a shoe placed therebetween. Along the inside edges of the rearward foot support brackets 16 are mounted protective plates 24 to prevent the foot support brackets from crashing into the oppositely supported foot of the exerciser when the cantilever arms are pivoted excessively. The base of the training device is indicated generally by the numeral 26 and is generally in the shape of two crossed skis and formed of two front legs 28 and two rear legs 30. The base, however, may be of any other configuration which would prevent the ski training device from tipping over during use.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the mechanism employed for pivotally securing the cantilever arms 12 to the front legs 28 of the base is shown in a detached exploded view. The cantilever arms are bent upwardly at point 13 to give the exerciser a feeling of going down a slope. The forward end of the cantilever arm has a tip formed in the shape of a semicircular section 14 and having a bore 15. Mounted atop the forward section 14 is a brake 32 formed with spread fingers 34 and 35 having aligned threaded holes 33 and 36 through which screw 38 is passed to tighten and loosen the brakes grip on circular cap 42. The brake 32 is attached to the forward end of the cantilever arm by means of screw 40 which threads into holes 39 and 41. A disc bearing 48 rests between the top of section 14 and under surface of cap 42. The cap screw 43 has its head tightly engaged in the bore 44 of cap 42 so it will not turn therein and cap 42 sets within the aperture formed by the fingers 34 and 35 of the brake.

Looking now at the structure beneath the cantilever arm, shown best in FIG. 2, the forward leg 28 has a foot cushion 50 mounted thereunder. Attached to the top of the leg is a short support post 52 having an inclined top surface 54. The support post is attached to the top of leg 28 by means of screws 55 and 56 passing through counter bores 57, 58 and threadedly attached in holes 59 and 60 respectively. A disc bearing 62 passes over hub 61 and rests on the inclined top surface of the support post. A split sleeve bearing 64 is located between bore 15 of the cantilever arm and hub 61 as they are assembled. The lower end of cap screw 43 is tightened into the screw threaded bore 63 to draw all the elements together. Once assembled, the brake may be adjusted to vary the frictional resistance that it will be necessary to overcome to swing the cantilever arm through simulated skiing motions.

An alternative embodiment is disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4 which allows the foot support cantilever arms 12 to be displaced laterally with respect to each other along the central connecting member 128 of the supporting base 126. The supporting base 126 is generally U-shaped and has arms 130 attached to the outer ends of central connecting member 128. As the user's proficiency increases the distance between the foot support cantilever arms can be decreased in a manner best described by looking to FIG. 4, Here in the drawing, cylindrically shaped clamping block 80 has channel groove 82 in its top surface which engages the center connecting member 128 of the base. Clamping blocks 80 may be slid along the connecting member to any desired position to vary the distance therebetween. Screws 83 and 85 are then inserted through holes 84 and 86 respectively and tightened into aligned threaded holes in the bottom of support post 152. The foot support cantilever arms may thus be positioned anywhere along the connecting member 128. All the additional structure attached atop the supporting post 152 is similar to that used in the embodiment described in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c and 6a and 6b, respectively, it is illustrated schematically how the cantilever arms 12a and 12b of the training device would appear when practicing the snow plow and parallel skiing positions. The different views shown are both top plan and end views to illustrate how the ski edges should be positioned in the aforementioned maneuvers.

I claim:

I. A ski training device for simulating the motions of actually skiing comprising a base, a pair of cantilever arms, each having a forward section and a rearward section, adjustable foot support brackets mounted on each of said cantilever arms, means at the forward section of said cantilever arms for pivotally securing said arms to said base, said cantilever anns being bent upwardly adjacent to and rearwardly of said pivotally securing means to give the person standing in the foot support brackets a forwardly inclined position.

2. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein each adjustable foot support bracket is comprised of a support member having vertical foot guide plates mounted thereon, the support members being slidable along the length of the arms and having means to fixedly position the support members to the arm,

3. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for pivotally securing the cantilever arms to the base comprises brake means for adjusting the amount of resistance to the cantilever arms pivotal movement with respect to the base.

4. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein the base has a support post mounted thereon, the top surface of the post being inclined from front to rear to provide a sloped bearing surface upon which the forward section of the cantilever arms pivots.

5. A ski training device as recited in claim I wherein the means for pivotally securing said cantilever arms to said base comprises means to adjust the lateral distance between said cantilever arms.

6. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein the base is generally U-shaped and said cantilever arms are pivotally mounted to the connecting member of the base. 

1. A ski training device for simulating the motions of actually skiing comprising a base, a pair of cantilever arms, each having a forward section and a rearward section, adjustable foot support brackets mounted on each of said cantilever arms, means at the forward section of said cantilever arms for pivotally securing said arms to said base, said cantilever arms being bent upwardly adjacent to and rearwardly of said pivotally securing means to give the person standing in the foot support brackets a forwardly inclined position.
 2. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein each adjustable foot support bracket is comprised of a support member having vertical foot guide plates mounted thereon, the support members being slidable along the length of the arms and having means to fixedly position the support members to the arm.
 3. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for pivotally securing the cantilever arms to the base comprises brake means for adjusting the amounT of resistance to the cantilever arms pivotal movement with respect to the base.
 4. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein the base has a support post mounted thereon, the top surface of the post being inclined from front to rear to provide a sloped bearing surface upon which the forward section of the cantilever arms pivots.
 5. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for pivotally securing said cantilever arms to said base comprises means to adjust the lateral distance between said cantilever arms.
 6. A ski training device as recited in claim 1 wherein the base is generally U-shaped and said cantilever arms are pivotally mounted to the connecting member of the base. 